Japan is pretty much the only country in the world that officially sells kei vehicles. Sure, we see them on Philippine roads rather frequently, but these came from grey market importers.
Now, it seems that there is a model that might make its way to Southeast Asia. That model is the Honda N-Van, specifically, the electric version. But don't take our word for it, Honda themselves said so.
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According to the company, the N-Van e: is currently undergoing ‘practicality verification in various locations’. More specifically, the electric kei van is being tested in Indonesia. For now, Honda isn't mentioning what kind of tests it's undergoing at the moment, but it's likely to see how well its mini electric vehicle fares in the harsher climate of Southeast Asia.
The Honda N-Van e: was actually displayed in Indonesia prior to the announcement. It was there to highlight the Japanese automaker's direction in electrification, from small vehicles to larger offerings.
Based on the standard fuel-powered N-Van, the EV version packs a compact electric motor that's mounted low on the floor. There are no power specifics just yet, but Honda claims it can get up to 210 kilometers of range on a single full charge.
From a standard wall socket, the N-Van e: can be fully charged from zero in about five hours. Plugging the little EV into a fast charger cuts that down to just 30 minutes (10 to 80 percent).
Again, the van is still undergoing viability tests, so it's not a guarantee that it will ever be offered in Southeast Asia. But should it pass according to the company's stringent standards, that brings the region one step closer to getting one of the first electric kei vans outside of Japan officially.
